Bullying is deliberate, hurtful behaviour that is repeated over a period of time. Bullying is done to people who find it difficult to defend themselves. There are lots of ways you can be bullied, such as:

• hitting
• name calling
• making threats
• ignoring people.

You could be bullied face-to-face, but it can also happen by text or email. It can happen at school, in the street or at home. However bullying happens, you don’t have to put up with it.

• Tell yourself you don't deserve this. Remember that bullies usually have more than one target and you just happen to be one of their unlucky victims.
• Don't feel ashamed about asking for help.
• Tell someone you trust - someone in your family, a friend or a teacher - and keep telling until you get the help you need.
• Avoid being violent back to the people who are bullying you. You might end up being accused of bullying yourself.
• Always tell the truth about what has happened. If a small part of what you say isn't true then people might not believe the rest of what you say.
• Don't hide what is happening. Keeping things secret is the bullies' biggest weapon. That is why they go to so much trouble to stop you telling.
• Keep a record of what happens to you. Save any bullying emails or texts.
• Keep your head up, walk tall and ignore the bully as much as you can, even if you have to pretend.

Remember, it is not you who is the problem, it is the bully.

• Tell your parents or another adult.
• Encourage your friend to tell someone too.
• There is safety in numbers Try to go around with a group of friends or go to places where other people are about.
• If the situation feels dangerous you can always tell the police.

If you want more help you can get in touch with the Anti-Bullying Team:

The Anti-Bullying Team
St Mark's House
14 Upperton Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex BN21 1EP

Phone: 01323 747081 Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm or leave a message and they will get back to you within 24 hours.
Email: anti-bullying@eastsussex.gov.uk.

Someone from the team will listen to you and take details of the bullying problem. Together you will decide what will happen next. They can also offer:

• one-to-one sessions on how to be more confident and deal with future bullying
• anti-bullying workshops with other young people who may have been in similar situations to you
• workshops where everyone involved gets together to work out how to stop the bullying.

Childline
Talk to a trained counsellor for free, 24 hours a day. Whatever you tell them is confidential and the call won’t show up on the phone bill.

Phone: 0800 1111

Beatbullying
Watch films on bullying, get advice on what to do if you think you may be a bully, even get involved as a media ambassador.

Bullying.co.uk
Loads of information and advice on different types of bullying and tips from other young people who’ve been bullied.

Connexions Direct
Find out what to do about mobile phone bullying, bullying at work and lots of other topics.